WYMT Severe Weather Alert

Rounds of heavy rain will begin to move into the area later tonight, leading to the increased potential for flooding. A Flood Watch is in effect for the entire area from now through Thursday and a Winter Storm Warning goes into effect tomorrow. As we head into Wednesday, temperatures will drop and transition our rain to sleet and eventually to snow. Most of the area could see several inches of snow and sleet before it's all said and done. Keep it locked right here for updates.

Severe Weather Alert

Rounds of heavy rain will begin to move into the area later tonight, leading to the increased potential for flooding. A Flood Watch is in effect for the entire area from now through Thursday and a Winter Storm Warning goes into effect tomorrow. As we head into Wednesday, temperatures will drop and transition our rain to sleet and eventually to snow. Most of the area could see several inches of snow and sleet before it's all said and done. Keep it locked right here for updates.

MANCHESTER, Ky. (WYMT) - WASHINGTON (WYMT)- Federal investigators have released surveillance pictures showing the crash of a medical helicopter in Clay County last year.

Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board say these pictures come from a building next to where the helicopter crashed in June 2013. The helicopter exploded into a fireball on impact.

The pilot and two medical workers on board died. NTSB investigators say the helicopter did not have any mechanical issues. They do think night time conditions and patchy fog played a role in the crash.

The NTSB released its factual report on the fatal Clay County helicopter crash that killed three people on board.

It states:

On June 6, 2013, about 2315 eastern daylight time, a Bell 206 L-1, N114AE, was destroyed when it impacted the ground in an elementary school parking lot while on approach to the company's helicopter landing zone near Manchester, Kentucky.

Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed; however, reports of patchy fog were reported by numerous eyewitnesses and a company visual flight rules flight plan was filed.

The airline transport pilot and two medical personnel were fatally injured.

The helicopter was owned and operated by Air Evac EMS Inc. and was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a repositioning flight to the company-owned helipad.

The flight originated from the St. Joseph-London Heliport (5KY9), London, Kentucky about 2259.________________________________________________________

Hundreds of people stopped to look at the helicopter crash site where three first responders lost their lives Thursday night.

Many of them say they “have suffered a great loss,” following the deaths of those they say were a dedicated medical team.

Three flags and roses now stand near the crash site in their honor.

“[It’s] just to let them know that we do care. We are appreciating that they risked their lives every day,” said community member, Steve Collett.

“The helicopter was completely burnt up. It looked like a big bile of melted rubber,” said Whitehead.

Federal Investigators say they've been searching through 3 different piles of wreckage.

One is where most of the helicopter landed in the parking lot, another just a few yards behind the school where the tail was found, and the third next to the county school buses.

Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration say they do not know the cause of the crash.

“We haven’t really sat down and started looking at the impact signature marks or the skids. We haven't really looked into all the fracture points yet to tell why is it like that,” said NTSB Investigator Shawn Etcher.

They expect to continue the investigation throughout the weekend.

Police have received conflicting reports about whether there was fog in the area at the time of the crash.

Investigators say they are sending a recording device from the helicopter to Washington DC for further investigation.______________________________________________________

UPDATED 6/7/2013 @ 6:07pmThe crews continue to survey the crash site but they have recently been looking at a nearby tree.

Federal investigators say that broken limbs could be connected to the crash.

“I came down here as soon as the power went out and saw the fire in the parking lot as soon as I came across the hill here,” Wesley Whitehead said.

Police say the helicopter was on its way back from transporting a patient to London when it crashed a couple hundred yards away from the landing pad in the Paces Creek Elementary School parking lot.

A National Transportation Safety Board investigator says they are looking for specific indicators in the rubble.

“We are going to go through the air craft as it sits and document any fracture points burn patterns, things like that,” NTSB Air Inspector Shawn Etcher said.

Investigators don't know what caused the crash, but they say a device on board may be able to help.

“These have similar recording devices they don't get the cockpit voice but they get the flight path and everything so we are going to extract that and send that to DC for download to see if it has any pertinent information,” Etcher said.

Police say they have received conflicting reports about fog and engine noises from witnesses but hope to soon find out what happened to their fellow first responders.

The federal investigator we talked to say they expect to start moving the pieces of the helicopter Saturday, but will be on scene investigating until as late as Monday. _________________________________________________

UPDATED 6/7/2013 @ 4:00pm

Investigators with the NTSB are in Manchester, Kentucky investigating what caused a deadly crash Thursday night.

The Company behind the Air Evac Lifeteam air medical helicopter service has confirmed that three men have died after a helicopter crashed near Manchester, in Clay County.

The accident happened around 11:16 on Thursday night, when the helicopter crashed into the parking lot of the Paces Creek Elementary School near Highway 421. We're told the aircraft was en route back to its base after transporting a patient to a hospital in London. No patients were on board.

All three crew members on board the helicopter died in the accident. They have been identified as pilot Eddy Sizemore, flight paramedic Herman "Lee" Dobbs, and flight nurse Jesse Jones.

The Clay County Sheriff says they're getting conflicting reports as to what may have caused the accident, regarding the weather.

8:30am Update:

Investigators from the FAA and NTSB are on the scene. We are told the groups will host a news conference later once they have more information.

2:30am Update:

Air Evac officials confirm the victims were the crew members on board the chopper.

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